Our mental health system is BROKEN , so very broken. It is so difficult to get children help even when they have a diagnosis. You wait months for services and the hardest cases are the ones where the child will not cooperate. There is nothing you can do if they are resistant. There are 72 hour holds, but the purpose of those is to get the immediate threat taken care of usually by means of medication. What happens once the child is released? Maybe medication compliance but most likely not.

There are NO further systems in place for the severely mentally ill. State hospitals must stay under a certain ratio and those hospitals are few and far between nowadays. Most mentally ill people either become drug addicts, become incarcerated or live with family which can be a good or bad thing.

Most of these parents will say the child showed signs and symptoms of further issues but they could only get them so much help. And God help you once the child is over 18, you don't even have a right to talk tot heir doctor unless the child signs a release. It just gets worse once they are legally an adult.

I have seen some parents I know struggle with this. They had concerns something was off with their child, they tried everything they could do to get their child help but sadly no one ever came through. As soon as their child turned 18 they had no rights to do anything.

I have another family friend who has a adult child with a diagnosed mental illness. As a child this boy was medicated but as an adult he refuses to take his medication and his parents can't force him. He even got a job at a local school, the school lets him work alone with children. His parents are very concerned but are told they can't do anything since their son has never committed a crime.

I was just reading about that story on CNN. Absolutely tragic. Those victims are being treated at the hospital I was born in! I grew up in that area until I was 10. Then I moved to Fort Hood, TX and that place has been all over the news this week too. Both my home cities are breaking my heart lately.

Its very tragic, sad and scary to think that a child could kill other children or their families!! I don't understand how a 2 yr old can pick up a gun and shoots his sister. Where the heck where the parents? Why wasn't that gun in a gun safe? Our teenagers seem to be in the background suffering in silence and no one esepecially the parents seem to care, and so they snap!!

First. I agree totally with the mental health issue.. But that's not what I'm talking about.. These kids.. the killers.. that have snapped.. all premeditated in one form or another.. internet searches, dark rooms, hidden closets, access to guns, etc..

I have no wy of knowing what it's like and so I can't assume that I would do better with a severe mental disorder.. BUT.. I DO know that I would have them on the internet in the same room as I am. I would not have locked closets or let them play in the garage with other friends for hours without knowing what's going on.. The violent aspect of it all.. not just the mental healthy part, the violence of it... couldn't have just been out of the blue.. maybe I'm naive to think there must have been signs.. something, anything.. But still feel like.. someone should have known or had an inkling..

I'll be interested to watch the story unfold in Pennsylvania... what that childs mental health was and where his parents were and the help he was getting...

We live in Los Angeles, CA.
I'm a writer, comedian, actor and single mom of two. Parenting is hard. I try to keep a sense of humor about it all and find the find the funny... in what is most likely NOT funny (i.e. boogers, meltdowns, homework, etc.).